Finding you
by amg47
Summary: Emma and Regina meet in the EF and find out they are each other's true love, but Cora stands in their way and casts a curse. Emma and Regina must find it back to each other in the real world. Where Cora is the Evil Queen and Emma and Regina are the same age.


For as long as she could listen and speak, all she heard and talked about was true love. Her parents share it and she was made with it. It exists in her very soul. All her life all Emma wanted was to find her other half, her truest love, her soul mate. Like her mother always told her "True, true love is magic and not just any magic, but the most powerful magic of all." Emma knew her mother's words were true when her eyes met Regina's.

Emma was twenty-one and had forgotten little of the bedtime stories her mother used to tell her by candle light. Emma grew up and she was quite adventurous much like her mother in her own youth. She enjoys sword ship, hunting, and pants. No dresses for her unless for very, very special occasions. Like tonight. Tonight her parents are throwing a ball in Emma's honor. The real reason is show off their daughter like a piece of cattle for the highest bidder, Emma wasn't stupid she knew how these balls worked.

The party had already begun when Emma walked down the hallway, she could hear the steady music through the closed entry doors. Her gloved hand rested lightly on the handle of the door, to say she was nervous was an understatement. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she heard someone walk up behind her. She turned around quickly to address the person breathing quite audibly, but she was met with the deepest brown eyes staring back at her.

"Hello, princess."

"Um...Hi…who are you?"

"My name is Regina."

Emma was completely smitten. The woman standing in front of her was absolutely breathtaking. Her olive toned skin shown in the faint candle light, her raven locks cascading to the side of her neck, her plump red lips, and god, her eyes were deep pools of brown that Emma could swim in all day. Emma finally caught herself gawking, and finally closed her mouth.

"I'm Emma."

"Yes, I know dear."

"Oh…um…are you going in?"

"I don't think I'll be welcome."

"Why not?"

"My mother."

"Is she here?"

"Not yet. She only brought me along in hopes to marry me off to some prince and become a queen."

"Is that what you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. My mother knows what's right for me."

"I believe we all have the right to do what our hearts desire most."

Regina didn't respond. She removed her eyes away from Emma's, feeling ashamed of her life.

"Would you like to come in with me? I always get nervous walking in alone."

"I'd love to, Emma."

The music stopped when Emma pushed open the grand doors and everyone turned to watch her descend the royal steps. But once they all saw who was by her side, they gasped in shock. Murmurs of _that's the evil queens daughter_ and _what is she doing here?_ Emma walked right pass everyone and proceeded to the dance floor, Regina still on her arm. "Will you dance with me, Regina?"

"Yes."

The music began again, but no one danced with them, they just stood there with their jaws on the floor as they watch two women dance together. "Everyone's staring, Emma."

"Of course they are. You're beautiful, how could anyone take their eyes off of you?"

A light blush crept up Regina's cheeks from Emma's words. After a few songs played through their bodies became closer, inches from touching. Emma, most like everyone else in the room could not take her eyes of Regina. Shedrew closer to Regina's ear and whispered, "Come with me. There's something I want to show you."

Hand in hand Emma led Regina outside to her little sacred spot, a fairly large pond with wildflowers bordering around the edge. The moon's reflection danced off the ripples on the water, illuminating Regina's face. Emma noticed this as she looked at Regina as she sat on the bench facing the water. Regina, who was staring out to the water, the stars dazzled in her eyes. "You take my breath away."

Regina turned to see Emma looking at her with such adoration. Both of them immediately felt a connection spark between them, like some unknown pulling their mind, body, and souls together. As the pull inside them grew stronger it began to increase the speed of their heart rates. They leaned their heads in closer and gently their lips met in a light kiss. As soon as pink met red, sparks of light shot out and surrounded the two women. There were rays white and purple dancing in the sky like stars glowing in the dark night. Tingles of electricity went through both bodies from their still connected lips; it caused them to break apart from each other. Once they did, both felt the loss of warmth and connection.

"Regina?"

"Emma?"

"What was that?"

"Magic. The most powerful magic of all-"

"True love."

"That means-"

"We're each other's true love!"

Before they could share the moment, a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning shocked them apart. A black swirl of smoke appeared and revealed a woman. "Regina, darling there you are, I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Sorry mother."

"What are you doing out here? You should be inside speaking with a prince! Not gallivanting outside in the dark like a child!"

"Mother this is Emma."

"Who?"

"Princess Emma."

The older witches' eyes widen, "Oh my please forgive me your heighness." Her sudden voice change sent chills down Emma's spine.

"Nice to meet you Ev-Queen Cora," Emma chocked out.

With a snicker Cora responded, "You as well, princess. Come along Regina, the princes' aren't going to dance with themselves, now are they?"

"Coming mother." She stood up from the bench and looked back at Emma, her new found true love. With tears in her eyes, Regina said, "Goodbye Emma." In a puff of smoke Emma's soul mate, her fate was gone from her life.

Emma ran back inside to the ball in hopes of finding Regina and her mother, but they were nowhere to be found. Finding her mother, Emma had explained all that had happened, how Regina, the daughter of the Evil Queen is her true love. Snow was confused at first, but as she looked at her daughter, she saw the look and emotion in Emma's eyes as her daughter talked about Regina, and she knew what they have is true. The same look she saw in Emma's eyes was the same look she knows her husband gives her, but Snow knew what kind of woman Cora is. She's wicked and cruel and there was no chance she'd let her daughter be with another woman, let alone Snow's daughter.

Weeks had passed on and Emma's heart was breaking a little more with each passing day. She hadn't been eating, or sleeping, or being herself since the night Regina left.

Across the kingdom, Emma's beloved was waiting to be married, to an atrocious man, Robin, heir to Locksley Kingdom. He was perfect in her mother's eyes. Regina would be the queen she always wanted.

Regina was a robot, she played her part well for her mother, but her mind drifted to Emma most days. Both women were longing deeply for the other. An invitation was delivered to the castle across the kingdom.

 _~You are cordially invited to the union_

 _Of_

 _Prince Robin Locksley of Locksley Kingdom_

 _And_

 _Regina Mills of the Dark Kingdom~_

Emma's heart had finally shattered to pieces, falling to her knees, she sobbed into her mother's arms. She felt betrayed and broken. _How could Regina do this to me? To what we could've been? She knows what we share…_ Snow reasoned with her heartbroken daughter and convinced Emma to go to support her…friend.

When Emma and her family arrived to the Dark Castle, and were seated in the massive church, Emma felt like she was going to faint. She couldn't be here, how was she just to suppose to sit here in silence and watch as her beloved marries a pitiful excuse of a man. She knew all about the tales of dear Robin, or as everyone called him, Robin Hood. He was a thief, a man who took valuables from others only to benefit the wealth of himself and his kingdom. Regina deserved better than that, she deserved the world, not stolen gems and wealth.

The melody of violins began, signaling everyone the arrival of the bride. The crowd rose to watch, and Emma's heart sank. The wooden doors opened revealing the angelic bride, hidden under a thin lace veil, her arm twined with her father's. Tears fell from emerald eyes, rolling down doleful cheek as Emma watched Regina stride down the aisle. As if she had felt Emma's watchful gaze, Regina turned to lock eyes with Emma. Her steps faltered as a small gasp escaped from her lips. More tears tumbled down now from both eyes. Regina's heart broke a little more, seeing Emma standing there. She didn't want Emma to be there and watch her marry someone else, as much as Emma didn't want to see it happen. A slight cough at the end of the aisle broke them from their trance, alerting the bride to continue on her path. Regina focused her eyes back to her new purpose, obeying her mother's command. The preacher's voice broke through the utterly silent chapel, beginning the preamble of unification, Emma didn't feel her body begin to stand or the touch of her mother's warning hand. She was no longer going to sit idly by and watch the love of her life be taken away from her, no, she was going to fight for her future.

"No!" Emma bolted up the velvet aisle, "No, Regina, you can't do this; you can't marry him, not when you know what we share between us. Nothing could ever replace the way I feel about you. You are the breath that gives me life, you are the beat of my heart, and without you I am incomplete. I don't want to live life without you by my side-"

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Cora's voice rang out and stung like a cold slap to the face, "My daughter does not belong with you, she will marry this _man_ and become Queen. She-"

"No, mother! Emma and I do belong together, we share true love."

Regina stepped off the pier and stood next to Emma, locking hands knowing beside Emma is where she belongs. "Well, well well Regina, you finally found the courage to speak up! You really have lost your mind, love is weakness!"

"You're wrong Mother! It's not weakness it's strength!"

"Well let's just see how strong your new love lasts in my dark curse!" Just like the magic she possesses, a dark cloud of smoke struck in the middle of the chapel. The wind howling, people shouting, and a clouded portal started to absorb everyone inside one by one. "May you all go to a place with no magic and your happiness forgotten. Good luck finding your true love now Regina."

"No, wait! Regina look at me! Don't be afraid. I will always find you, in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality; I'll find you, always. I love you Regina."

"And I love you." Regina's tear stained face was the last thing Emma saw before she was consumed into a world of complete darkness.


End file.
